Senator Hagel travels to Minnesota

Senator Hagel travels to Minnesota, a state that has become a swing state in recent years after being solidly Democratic for decades.

An excerpt from the article "Presidential politicking off to early start in Minnesota"

Hagel, a self-made millionaire and decorated Vietnam War hero, has criticized the Bush administration for not deploying enough troops in the Middle East and he has called for reinstituting the draft. He also called for an independent investigation into faulty pre-war intelligence, according to Congressional Quarterly's Politics in America.

"It's awfully early but I'm really excited about Chuck Hagel," said Tom Snell, executive director of the North Metro chamber. "What really spiked my interest was when I heard him on MPR [Minnesota Public Radio]."

Hagel will hold a fundraiser at the Minneapolis Club before going to Blaine, and he will be interviewed on MPR and taped for KSTP-TV's "At Issue" program aired Sunday mornings, according to Kevin Chapman, his spokesman.

Chapman said Hagel will talk about "competitiveness and foreign policy and trade issues."

From The Star Tribune on Feb. 20, 2006